Honeywell Spectra® Fiber - Protective Armor Materials

Honeywell Spectra® fiber
Protective Armor Materials
The Honeywell commitment to
keeping people safe
Honeywell Spectra® fiber has been
protecting people exposed to the most
challenging and critical work situations for
over 20 years. Spectra® fiber, one of the
world's strongest and lightest materials,
can be crafted into composite structures
such as Spectra Shield® ballistic material,
an ideal product for military applications.
Honeywell engineering is behind some
of the most advanced personal protection
systems in the world revolutionizing how
both hard and soft armor are constructed.
We continue to work with customers and
partners all over the globe to maximize
the strength of advanced armor products
while maintaining a light weight critical to
many applications.
Honeywell's commitment to the armor
business is demonstrated through the
number of fibers and materials in our
product family. As a multiple materials
resource, we are able to supply our
customers with solutions that fit their
individual needs.
We continue to innovate and create
products that can add value to your
military applications. Working alongside
our customers to evaluate and build
new armor systems is essential to our
continued success. Contact Honeywell
to see how we can help you remain
safer, stronger, and more confident in
your important line of work.
Honeywell Spectra® fiber:
Reporting for duty
Honeywell Spectra® fiber is made from
ultra high molecular weight polyethylene
(UHMWPE), a remarkably durable and
rugged material. By putting this material
through our patented gel-spinning and
drawing process, Honeywell engineers
have created Spectra® fiber, one of the
most advanced fibers available today.
•
Pound for pound, ten times stronger
than steel
•
More durable than polyester
•
Up to forty percent greater specific
strength than aramid fiber
•
Higher melting temperature than
Spectra Shield® composite material:
Protecting the Protectors
standard polyethylene (150ºC/300ºF)
Since the early nineteen nineties, soldiers,
and pressure. The resulting material,
Due to its unique viscoelastic properties,
police personnel and others in the line
Spectra Shield® composite, demonstrates
the strength and stiffness of Spectra® fiber
of fire have been protected by armor
exceptional multi-hit performance in ballistic
is strain-rate dependent. This enables
made with Spectra Shield® composite.
tests with substantially reduced back face
Spectra® fiber, as well as Spectra® fiber-
This patented technology was designed
deformation. By keeping the fibers in a
based composites, to perform exceptionally
to optimize the remarkable properties of
straight and parallel configuration, the
well against high velocity impact such as
Spectra fiber. Parallel strands of fiber are
energy of the projectile rapidly dissipates
rifle rounds and shockwaves. Our advanced
bonded in place with an advanced resin
along the length of the fiber. The alignment
fiber reacts to impact by rapidly moving
system. This unidirectional tape is then
of the long molecular chains in the fiber
the kinetic energy away from the impact
layered with other identically constructed
combined with the patented Honeywell
area, protecting those placed in harm's way.
tapes at right angles (0Þ/90Þ) and fused
processes achieves the most advanced
into a synthesized structure under heat
structure for efficient energy displacement.
®
This battle-tested fiber is proven to provide
high levels of performance for vibration
damping, flex fatigue, and internal fiberfriction characteristics at a reduced weight.
Spectra® fiber also has been proven to
have extraordinary durability as it exhibits
superior resistance to chemicals, water,
and ultraviolet light.
Ceramic-faced Spectra Shield® material is designed to
protect against high velocity rifle rounds, some of which
are armor-piercing bullets. This is best exemplified by
Small Arms Protect Insert (SAPI) armor plates used by
the Army and US Marine Corps. The plates are made
by bonding a ceramic strike face to a hard panel that
contains multiple layers of Spectra Shield® material and
wrapping the entire unit in a fabric covering.
Standing Strong in
Hostile Environments
Protective Gear
Honeywell’s dedication to materials
research and innovation has produced
dramatic results in the protective
gear market.
Breastplates
When used in body armor, Spectra Shield®
composite can defeat hard, high velocity
rounds and manage the blunt trauma
effects of automatic and semiautomatic
Hybrid soft armor vests containing
Honeywell Spectra Shield® and Honeywell
Gold Shield® products are designed to
protect against handgun rounds such as
those from a 9mm full metal jacket.
fire. Rigid armor plates, breastplates, collars
and other inserts made with Spectra Shield®
The high modulus and energy absorption
products offer strong protection in a
Vests
characteristics of Spectra® fiber are
remarkably lightweight material. Both trauma
Concealed ballistic vests and tactical
maximized during a ballistic event, reducing
inserts and new generation breastplate
body armor made with Spectra Shield®
the knockdown effect of the projectile.
inserts rely on Spectra Shield materials
material provide protection with comfort
This level of performance allows body
to halt semi-armor piercing rifle rounds.
and maneuverability. Spectra Shield®
®
material provides superior stopping
armor manufacturers to satisfy new and
more demanding standards from the
Helmets
power and exceptional multi-hit, angle
National Institute of Justice.
State of the art helmets have been
shot and trauma reduction benefits.
developed using Honeywell’s proprietary
Over time, Honeywell has adapted
resin systems. A number of innovative,
To provide additional design flexibility
Spectra Shield technology to include
lightweight constructions using
Honeywell also manufactures Gold Shield®
different types of fibers in the base
Spectra Shield composite materials
products that apply the benefits of Spectra
material, improve the properties of a
have been designed for ballistic and
Shield® technology to aramid fibers.
wide range of fiber types and optimize
fragmentation protection.
®
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the performance parameters of many
different armor systems. As a result
of this innovative spirit, Spectra Shield®
products have become premier ballistic
materials in many of the world's most
advanced armor systems.
A helmet made with Spectra Shield® material is shown
stopping a 9mm round and defeating a fragmentation
simulator—both tests showing the Spectra Shield®
material energy dispersion pattern.
Vehicular Armor
When armoring air, land, and sea vehicles
for civilian security, law enforcement, diplomatic, and military needs, trust Spectra®
fiber products. Spectra Shield® material is
ideal in aircraft and helicopter applications,
delivering protection against small arms
fire and adding outstanding spall protection
in hybrid ceramic/steel systems for tanks
and APCs. This patented technology is
also used in blast containment applications
as well as in reinforced cockpit doors on
commercial airliners. Spectra® fiber is light
enough to float, making it ideal for water
craft applications, and the low dielectric
constant of the fiber makes it virtually
transparent to radar.
Spectra® fiber based materials have
negligible moisture absorption and are
chemically inert. They provide outstanding
impact resistance and can be combined
with other ballistic materials to conform to
the irregular contours of large and small
vehicles. And since lightweight Spectra®
fiber products have little effect on a vehicle’s
center of gravity or balance, it is easy to
maintain both speed and maneuverability.
Future Innovations
At Honeywell, we are continually researching
Spectra fiber based composites have
new material solutions as the needs of
been used to armor:
manufacturers, military commands and law
•
C-130 gunships
enforcement agencies continue to change
•
CH-46 helicopters
and evolve. Spectra® fiber technology was
•
HMMWV
born from innovation and continues to be
•
Armored money carriers
our driving force.
•
VIP vehicles
•
Police cars and boats
®
To learn more about Honeywell Spectra®
fiber products, visit our website at
www.honeywell.com/spectra
For more information:
Honeywell Specialty Materials
101 Columbia Road
Morristown NJ, 07962
Toll Free: 1-800-695-5969
Europe: +32 16 39 12 19
International: +00+11 804 520 3033
www.honeywell.com/spectra
© 2011 Honeywell International Inc.
A0106
All Photos Courtesy of U.S. Army